Listen up, NTC: Internet is not a value added service

@jesterinexile attended the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC ) public hearing in Baguio last Friday. Apparently the NTC “believes, and continues to believe that broadband is a value added service. Value added service is another speak for, “add on.” NTC believes that this isn’t the telco’s main business, but their side business.”

@rom emphasizes that “DepEd & CHED must step in and tell NTC that poor broadband services gravely affect education, specially distance education. #betterinternet”

Anything non-voice daw is is Value-added-service which I think is an excuse to dictate prices.

@cocoy in Is internet a value added internet service? adds that:

What is pretty clear in the face of global change, in the face of how much the Internet is instrumental in every part of people’s lives, and continues to grow, the Internet access must be considered as a right. At the same time, Internet infrastructure must maintain its core ethos: that no one group controls it and any law or policy must respect network neutrality.

Times have changed. NTC should review the broadband access classification as value-added service (VAS) .

Broadband is not VAS when it can be sold independently of its main services (i.e. cellular, landline). Internet usage is not the same as it was ten years ago. Bayan Telecommunications, agrees the real revenue is in broadband as demand for it increased more than traditional revenue sources like voice calls and international long distance calls.

Today, internet connection is a basic service needed by consumers to communicate with family members, acquire information and knowledge.

Here are the live tweets from @jesterinexile and others who were watching the public hearing on ustream. The videos can be viewed here.

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